1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and system for facilitating the ordering of items from suppliers. In particular, an electronic catalog requisition system and method is disclosed.
2. Background Art
Traditionally, procurement systems have been manual, labor intensive and costly operations. For example, a supplier would do mass mailings of catalogs to potential customers; the customers would browse the catalogs and select items to be purchased; and then the customer would complete a paper order form, or call the supplier to order the items. The entire process, from preparing the catalog to receipt of orders, often took several weeks, and possibly months. If a supplier wanted to continually update his catalogs, or provide different price schedules to different customers, the printing, distribution and administrative burden would be even more tremendous.
On a relatively small scale, some suppliers have offered catalogs through computer services, such as PRODIGY (a registered trademark of Prodigy Services Corp.). With PRODIGY, a computer user can dial-up a service from home and select items to purchase from various catalogs maintained on the system. Upon selection, PRODIGY initiates the order with the supplier.
While this has improved upon some of the disadvantages in typical procurement situations, there are still problems remaining that have yet to be solved. One such drawback is that PRODIGY does not provide the purchaser a competitive shopping tool. Comparative information on products offered by various suppliers is not simultaneously displayed, which would facilitate item selection.
Another drawback is that PRODIGY is not integrated with the industrial customer's procurement system, though its use is not limited to home customers. Still another drawback is that PRODIGY does not permit customers to maintain "Private Catalogs" on their own computer systems. Private Catalogs permit individual customers to control or limit the products or services, as desired by the customer. Private Catalogs also allow separate pricing structures for different customers based upon negotiated agreements with suppliers, as well as permit large corporations to maintain listings (catalogs) of surplus items available to its employees.